The Nature of Christ in the Valentinian Sources from the Nag Hammadi Library and its Relationship with the Fourth Gospel Conspectus : The Journal of the South African Theological Seminary, Volume 18, Issue 09, Sep 2014, p. 35 - 58

Abstract

This article analyses the nature of Christ in the Valentinian Sources from the Nag Hammadi Library and its relationship with the fourth gospel. Both the origin of Christ and the human and spiritual components of the nature of Christ are included. While the Valentinian Sources include both a heavenly and earthly origin and spiritual and human components of the nature of Christ, the earthly seems to be continually qualified in some way. At the same time, the Valentinian myth, through which the Valentinians filter their theology, demands an incarnation at some level. This tension between the spiritual and human Christ is analysed in order to better understand the development and variation of the nature of Christ in Valentinian theology.